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Chapter
10

The
Dockworker

By 1939, thousands upon thousands of German
Jews had fled across the border into the Netherlands. The Dutch
Government unable to absorb so many refugees set up a special
camp at Westerbork near the German border. The Nazis would later
use this camp as a transport point to the death camps.

To begin with, many Dutch Jews believed that
things would work out for them in the end. For the people of the Netherlands
had always protected them and also the country as a NeutralState thus the Germans would never attack this country! But
soon enough they began to realise the bitter truth that little Holland
would no longer be capable of protecting them, for the evil
German Nazis would invade them after all! The bombing of the City
of Rotterdam commenced on May 14, 1940 and the invasion had began
and soon enough the Nazis marched into Amsterdam!

The
Nazis march into Amsterdam

The first anti-Jewish measures were introduced
slowly, but without respite. In September 1940, Jews were
forbidden to enter certain residential areas and were refused
work in a number of professions. Then in October, all civil
servants had to make a so-called declaration of Aryan descent.
All Jewish public servants and teachers were dismissed. In
January 1941, compulsory registration of all Jews commenced. At
the same time, cafes, theatres, and other public places were out
of bounds to all Jews. Signs were erected Voor Joden
Verboden - Forbidden to Jews.

Sadly due to the poverty prior to the war, even
Holland had its own National Socialist Movement
better known as the N.S.B., which was led by the sinister Anton
Mussert who was installed in 1942. Even though the N.S.B. represented
only a minority, but now Nazi Germany controlled the nation, the
N.S.B. suddenly had great power. Most members originally joined
the N.S.B. to combat Communism, little realising the true and
full meaning of Nazism. Patriotic Dutch men and women regarded
the N.S.B. as the Traitor's Party.

The
evil traitor Anton Adrian Mussert salutes his N.S.B. troops

Now, Jewish youngsters were being attacked by
the Nazi youth movement, which was part of the
N.S.B., just as it was in Germany. The Jewish quarter was
constantly being terrorised, however the Dutch police were
completely helpless, for German law encouraged it.

Mussert
ruled with an iron fist from 1942 until the end in 1945

A well-known Jewish ice cream parlour,
Koko was attacked on 12 February 1941. Dutch
customers, including several police officers, doctors, and others
resisted bravely. Seven days later, another ice cream parlour
belonging to Mr. Ernst Cahn was singled out and attacked by
members of the N.S.B. He defended himself by throwing ammonia in
the face of one Nazi. A bitter struggle ensued, resulting in
eight arrests. Mr. Cahn received the expected Nazi justice. In
their perverted Kangaroo Court he was sentenced to
death. Mr. Ernst Cahn, who was ruthlessly attacked in his own
store by the Nazis, ended up as the first Jew to officially to
die by Nazi hands in the Netherlands. Others who were arrested
received long prison sentences.

Some members of the N.S.B. were as fanatical as
Hitler himself. With actions that were extreme and violent,
proving that they were the servants of evil, always ready to obey
their Fuhrer, who was their lord and master. At the end of the
war, they would be punished with severity, a severity befitting
their hideous crimes against Dutch Jews, and the general Dutch
population alike. One such traitor serving with the Waffen SS on
the Russian front wrote the following letter to a like-minded
Dutch Nazi back home, who was part of the Arnhem Storm
Troopers.

How are things
with your Jews? This place (Russia) is crawling with them, though
I do not think many will be left by the time the war is over.
There has been a lot of cleaning up, and I myself have shot down
a whole plague of them ... I only hope to get the chance of
leading a group of comrades when we start rooting out the Jewish
vermin back home. They won't know what hit them. February
1942.

The WA, the Para-military arm of the N.S.B. now
attacked the Jewish neighbourhood on a daily basis. This forced
both Jews, and non-Jews, to form their own protection squads,
often recruiting members of the Jewish sport and boxing clubs Maccabi
and Olympia. On 11 February 1941, a serious battle
broke out and a WA man by the name of Koot was seriously injured
and died a few days later. Whenever a WA man died, the Nazis were
ruthless in retaliation.

Without warning, on Saturday 22, being a
Sabbath day the Hebrew quarter was surrounded and completely
sealed off. Soldiers broke down doors and took men and young boys
at random. Hundreds and twenty five males were taken captive, and
they were marched to the Jonas Daniel Meijer Square. Here in the
shadow of five ancient Synagogues from where Hebrew prayers and
songs of praise to the Almighty had wafted across the square for
centuries, the Nazis herded the Jews like deceased cattle, and
beat them without mercy for all to see. They were then forced
into their transport and taken away. This horror was repeated the
next day during the Sunday street markets. In total over these
two days alone four hundred and twenty five Jewish men and boys
were deported, first to the Dutch intrim camp
Westerbork located in Drente, but from there they
were all sent per train to concentration camps, such as the evil
Sobibor, Auschwitz, Mauthausen and Buchenwald where the vast
majority of them perished in the most horrific of circumstances.

Rigth:
Up to 400 male Jews were captured at the Jonas Daniel Meijer
Square on Saturday 22 & 23 February 1941

All
of whom were sent to the Dutch camp first, then to the death
camps east!

Right:
The deportation commenced, first these extended cars, but later
those horrid cattle trains!

The good people of Amsterdam were in a state of
shock and the city was charged with fury by these events. Something
must be done! shouted the angry masses, but what? Amsterdam
was like a bomb about to explode any minute. It was the Dutch
Workers Party who was the first to call for action, and they did
this by calling a General Protest Strike. Their first
attempt was to be on Monday 24 February, but this sadly failed.
At another meeting that very night, an official announcement was
made, Tomorrow 25 February (1941) we will strike.
Then on Tuesday morning the strike was on and it spread rapidly
and became a general strike. That afternoon Amsterdam felt like a
free city. Railway men, dockworkers, tram conductors,
shipbuilders, factories, all were at a standstill and it kept
spreading.

A
call to STAAK, STAAK, STAAK!!! - STRIKE,
STRIKE, STRIKE!

The strike spread to other cities and towns
throughout the Netherlands. Masses were marching in the streets
calling for justice, saying, Germany, you cannot harm our
people, be it a Jew or a Gentile, and get away with it. Our voice
will be heard! By now shops, offices and schools were
deserted. Even banks closed their doors in support. The Dutch
police defiantly stood by without taking any action. All too
soon, the Nazis recovered from their initial shock and reacted
with all their might.

Soon guns were blazing in the streets, firing
at demonstrators. Many were arrested. Nine brave lives were lost
that day in Amsterdam, and two more in town of Zaandam. Municipal
workers were now threatened with severe punishment, thus most
were eventually forced back to work.

What did the strike achieve? Nine dead and four
strikers were sentenced to death as well as many others who were
imprisoned. Slowly, those who were sympathetic with the Germans
replaced mayors of towns and cities throughout the Netherlands.
The Dutch Workers Party strike was the first of its kind and it
made clear the mind of the vast majority of the people of Holland.
But sadly, it was not able to prevent future deportation of the
Jewish people to the hideously insane Nazi death camps. Yet, the
strike was not altogether futile, for it stirred up a spirit of a
strong resistance around the Netherlands. So many were united, except
the usual extremists and amazingly a good number of priests and
pastors who were against it! But, those who knew in their heart
that they just had to do something were well aware that all of
these who were against them, that their rejection was based in
National Socialism or simply anti-Semitism. It is well recorded
that the Netherlands was the only nation in the world to make
such a dramatic statement in defence of its Jewish population for
its people considered them as fellow dutch citizens who had done
so much good for the country!.

We now turn to the Remembrance of the Netherlands
of the heroic strike as above. The Netherlands did this after the
war by erecting a rather special statue; it is a statue of an
everyday Dutchman, who just happens to be a dockworker during the
war. Thus, this memorial is known as The Dockworker.

A Strong Man says,
No!

In 1987, the author visited the Netherlands
whilst researching this book, spending a great deal of time in
the old Jewish quarter. One day I visited the Jonas Daniel Meijer
Square. There under some old trees stands a man made of bronze.
He is big and heavy. It is obvious that he is a strong man. He
stands quite still with his left foot forward, and his arms
hanging down. It is almost if he is ready to fight. His head is
slightly tilted back, as he is making a statement. Just look at
his cap and his clothes they are worker's clothes. His sleeves
are rolled up over his strong muscles. You can see he is not an
easy-going man. He is a man who is not afraid, and he is not
going to take tyranny any longer. He will not bow down or be held
back by these German oppressors. This statue says a great deal
about the resistance of the Dutch people, against Nazism. He is
the Dockworker.



The
Author, as he looked on a cold December day, in 1987 on the Jonas
Daniel Meijer Square 

A
sketch by Kosta Specis--

The Dockworker tells you, that everyday people
could no longer put up with Nazi discrimination against their
Dutch Jewish brethren, and that his patience was up. He throws
down his work, for he had enough of being a slave. Thus he
strikes. That strike began on 25 February 1941. And there was a
mighty reason for it, the very same reason one of Pierre
Janssens teachers did not teach one day, because Mr.
Bendien was sacked just he was a Jew. As Pierre said, Are
Jews not Dutch, like any other Dutchmen? Are they not our fellow
countrymen? The sad fact was that Germans, and their Dutch
followers placed their faith in just one man who gave them his,
and his parties might and strength. Adolf Hitler was an Austrian
Roman Catholic, who in his youth had dabbled in the occult, and
had hated the Jews. Jews had never hurt him in any way. They were
being punished just because they were Jews. That day in February,
when they tortured those poor Jewish men and boys, the tolerant
people of Amsterdam and the Netherlands lost their patience. They
fought back the only way they could as they laid down their jobs
and told the Germans, We won't stand for it! Thus
this statue, the Dockworker stands proudly in the very heart of
the old Jewish quarter of Amsterdam, under the shadow of the
ancient Synagogues, and at the very spot where those four hundred
and twenty five lives were beaten and taken to the Nazi deaths
camps.

The following is based on an item written by
Rabbi Dr. J. Soetendorp, entitled, The Dockworkers
Prayer.

The square is
framed with seventeenth century gables and quaint windows. Once,
behind these, the soul of a people prayed till they could no
more, a people that around this square were able to live out
their dream of freedom, until, just where I am standing, their
young sons were forced and beaten mercilessly to the ground. The
walls of these Synagogues bear the testimony for they saw it
Then I a Dockworker, stood up. I, who had never prayed,
not in a Church, let alone a Synagogue. But, I rolled up my
sleeves, with my cap tilted on the back of my head and said,
Come, here I am going to make my stand, and I will stay.
For your evil unjust ways shall never know peace. This is
the prayer of my hands, that which my heart could not do. Nazis,
possibly this was the prayer you were waiting on, to commence
your song of curses, your chosen tune It bounced against
the ancient walls. You have awoken the prayerful. Your madness is
like an echo, but only an echo no more! Soon your racing vehicles
will be gone from our streets. However, I will remain standing,
here amongst the Synagogues. Otherwise we will soon forget that
once, wild animals walked upon and tortured our people ... The
people of Israel who made our country their home The
sounds can The sounds can still be heard, amongst these old
trees, and in the Synagogues.

The
Dockworker with the Portuguese Synagogue behind it on the Jonas
Daniel Meijer Square

In the last chapter, we met Pierre Janssen, He
told the story, of how in his household often strangers would
come and stay.

Pierre Janssen continues his story.

Once a young man came to stay with us,
and he had to share my bed with me. He was friendly but never
said very much. A few months later, after he had left our house,
our local paper arrived. The paper was now under the control of
the Germans who would have us believe that they were going to win
the war. We were always fearful of reading the page that had a
thick black band around it. On this page, the Nazis announced the
death, or execution of resistance fighters and others. The black
band ensured that its readers would not miss it. They even pasted
the page on walls and billboards throughout Amsterdam as a scare
tactic. However, scare tactics never did much for the Dutch.

As mother opened the paper that day, she read
the list. She tearfully pointed out two notices, for there was
the announcement of a man we knew. She cried out That was
dear Kees. Indeed, it was the kindly young man I shared my
bed with. And this she continued was his
brother. I read the notice with great sadness. It was
difficult for me to speak about those who were so brutally
murdered by our enemy. These men and women all desired to live so
much, but felt the responsibility to do something for others, and
their country. When the Germans caught them, their lives ended
abruptly in violence.

Several
brave heroes of the Netherlands lay slain in the Streets and they
were murdered by Dutch traitors, the NSB

Several
Amsterdamers cover them with the Dutch flag of Red, white and
blue in a hurry

Photograph
by Cas Oorthuys

Unlike in the days of Pierre, we are privileged
to live in a time of relative freedom. As we read of the events
of those dreadful years, our hearts should be touched with
tenderness and sorrow. These brave individuals did something,
even in the face of extreme danger. Many also died because of
their faith in their Messiah, who called them (in the New
Testament) to withstand the evil persecution of His brethren, Israel.

Assuredly,
I (Yahushua - Jesus) say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of
the least of these (Israel) My brethren, you did it to Me. Then
they also will answer him, saying, 'master, when did we see you
hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison,
and did not minister to you?' Then he will answer them, saying,
'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of
the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' And these will go
into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal
life. Matt 25:40 & 44-46 (NKJ).

These faithful ones, hid many Jews in their
homes, and helped them to escape, even to Palestine. Volumes
could be written of great heroism, not only in the Netherlands,
but also, in some other countries in Europe. Most of these
individuals were convicted of their duty because of through their
faith. These are the Righteous (Tzedakah) believers in
Messiah!

O love the
LORD (YHVH - YaHVaH), all you His saints: for the LORD (YHVH -
YaHVaH) preserved the faithful, and plentifully rewards the proud
doer. Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all
ye that hope in the LORD (YHVH - YaHVaH) Psalm 31: 23 &
24.

The next chapter contains the story of a dear
lady who displayed the kind of courage and audacity that is
shared by all who fought so bravely for the right to live in
freedom, and practice their faith, be it Christians, or Jews. Her
story will have a profound impact on all who will read it!

The following is
something this wonderful faithful woman held as her motto until
the very end!

But love your
enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and
your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the
Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Be
ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful Luke
6: 35 - 36 (KJV).